College Lingo
Every occupation or field of endeavor has terminology know only to "insiders". As an adult student entering college for the first time or reentering the college community after a lapse of some years, you may find some of the terms baffling. Listed below are some of the many terms which you will hear over and over again in college:
~A~
- Advisor
- A faculty member or professional educator who advises students about their individual academic program. A good advocate!
- Audit
- To take a course without credit. Student is not required to take exam or submit work for review. No grade, no credit, some cost.
A | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | L | M | N | O | P | Q | S | T | U | W
~C~
- Classification
- Level of progress toward the bachelor's degree. An undergraduate student is classified as Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, or Senior, depending on the number of semester hours completed and grade points earned.
- CLEP Tests
- Tests developed by the College Entrance Examination Board which determine the extent of a student's knowledge in a particular subject area. These tests are used to award college credit in certain subject areas.
- Concentration
- A particular emphasis within a major.
- Co-requisite
- A course which must be taken at the same time as another specified course.
- Course
- A specific subject of study.
- Course (or Class) Load
- The number of semester hours for which a student is registered in a semester. Course loads can be Part-Time (less than 12 semester hrs.), Full-Time (12-18 semester hrs.), and Overload (over 18 semester hrs., requiring special approval).
- Credit
- The numerical value awarded upon completion of specified studies, usually based on class meeting length and frequency. At IPFW credit is stated in semester hours.
- Curriculum
- The whole body of courses offered by the college, or by one of its divisions or departments.
A | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | L | M | N | O | P | Q | S | T | U | W
~D~
- Department
- An organizational unit representing a discipline or related disciplines, such as Department of Foreign Languages.
- Discipline
- An area of study representing a branch of knowledge, such as Mathematics.
- Drop/Add
- The ability to drop out of a class without grade penalty, or to add a class. Process requires seeing an advisor. Time limits are in the schedule of classes.
A | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | L | M | N | O | P | Q | S | T | U | W
~E~
- Early-registration
- An opportunity for students already enrolled at the college to select courses for the next semester before new students register.
- Elective
- A course not specifically required for a particular major or minor.
- Exam
- Usually a comprehensive test given at midterm, at the end of a course, or at the end of some significant portion of a course.
A | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | L | M | N | O | P | Q | S | T | U | W
~F~
- Fine Arts Courses
- Certain courses in art, theatre and music.
- Fully-Matriculated Student
- An enrolled student who has been accepted through the Admissions Office as a degree candidate.
A | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | L | M | N | O | P | Q | S | T | U | W
~G~
- General Education Courses
- Courses designed to help students acquire a broad base of knowledge and capabilities fundamental to the concept of a university education.
- Grade
- A letter A, B, C, D, F representing the professor's evaluation of the student's work.
- Grade Points
- A numerical representation of the value of a letter grade for a course (A=4, B=3, C=2, D=l, F=O) multiplied by the semester hours awarded for a course. Examples: a grade of "A" for a 1 semester hour Physical Education course is worth 4 grade points; an "B" in a 3 semester hour English course is worth 9 grade points.
- Grade Point Average
- The total number of grade points earned divided by the total number of semester hours carried. For example, a student who earns 36 grade points while carrying a course load of 15 semester hours would earn a GPA of 2.40 for the semester.
- Graduation Application
- A form to fill out to officially apply for graduation.
- Graduate Student
- A student who has received a bachelor's degree and has been admitted to the School of Graduate Studies.
A | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | L | M | N | O | P | Q | S | T | U | W
~H~
- Humanities Courses
- Certain courses in English, history, foreign languages, and philosophy and religion.
A | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | L | M | N | O | P | Q | S | T | U | W
~I~
- ID card
- An official card given to students currently enrolled in the university, used to acquire access to the Sports Center and borrow library books. Obtained in Walb Union.
- Incomplete
- Temporary grade that student and professor agree upon. Requires specific work to be completed in a specific time frame. If work is not complete, the grade becomes an F.
- Interdisciplinary Courses
- Courses which deal with two or more academic subjects in a particular field of study.
A | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | L | M | N | O | P | Q | S | T | U | W
~L~
- Life-Long Learning
- An expression of the concept that education should continue throughout one's lifetime.
A | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | L | M | N | O | P | Q | S | T | U | W
~M~
- Major
- The academic area in which a student chooses to place principal emphasis, requiring a minimum of 24 credit hours of specified courses in it.
- Midterm
- The approximate halfway point of a semester.
- Minor
- A coherent curriculum of study that is less extensive than a major and consists of specified courses from one or more fields of study.
A | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | L | M | N | O | P | Q | S | T | U | W
~N~
- Non-Credit Courses
- Courses offered by the School of Continuing Studies which address the personal and professional development needs of the IPFW community but do not carry academic credit.
A | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | L | M | N | O | P | Q | S | T | U | W
~O~
- Orientation
- Activities and programs designed to help the new student become acquainted with the college.
A | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | L | M | N | O | P | Q | S | T | U | W
~P~
- Pass/Not-Pass
- Grade option that is available with electives. Your advisor can make you aware of any restrictions of its use.
- Permanent Record
- The card on which the Registrar lists all student's courses, semester hours credit, grades, status and certain personal information.
- Placement Tests
- Tests given by college departments which determine a student's level of proficiency in a particular subject area. These tests are used to place students in classes at the appropriate level for their abilities.
- Post-Baccalaureate Student
- A student who has already received a bachelor's degree and is taking more undergraduate courses.
- Prerequisite
- A requirement which must be met before a particular course can be taken.
A | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | L | M | N | O | P | Q | S | T | U | W
~Q~
- Quiz
- A brief test, sometimes unannounced, and usually, not requiring a full class period.
A | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | L | M | N | O | P | Q | S | T | U | W
~S~
- Schedule
- The courses for which a student is enrolled during a semester or summer term.
- Semester
- A portion of the school year in which courses can be completed. Spring and Fall semesters are about 15-16 weeks, Summer semester are much shorter.
- Semester Hour
- The unit of credit used by schools on the semester plan.
- Social Science Courses
- Courses in anthropology, economics, political science, psychology, or sociology.
- Syllabus
- A syllabus is an outline or other brief statement of what a professor expects to cover for the entire semester. It will often include an exact schedule of assignment due dates, test dates, grading system, and any issues a professor wishes to make absolutely clear.
A | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | L | M | N | O | P | Q | S | T | U | W
~T~
- Term Paper
- A written assignment requiring students to gather knowledge through documented research, from numerous sources, on a specific topic, and presented in an orderly fashion; length varies, but 5-10 typewritten pages is not unusual.
- Text
- The assigned book for a course.
- Transcript
- An official copy of a student's permanent academic record. Obtained through the Registrar's Office.
A | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | L | M | N | O | P | Q | S | T | U | W
~U~
- Undergraduate
- A college student who has not yet received a bachelor's degree.
A | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | L | M | N | O | P | Q | S | T | U | W
~W~
- Withdrawal
- Dropping all classes. To do so without the proper forms from your advisor can result in financial and/or academic (F's) penalty. Late withdrawal (past last day to withdraw) are available for extraordinary circumstances.
1-866-597-0010
Jobs
Safety
Contact
Maps